kiva: help Dot & Lil lend a hand

Yesterday, I launched a project here at Dot & Lil that I've been thinking about for a long time. I've known for a while now that I want to increase the ways in which my small business contributes. In fact, I want trying and contributing and helping to be tied right into the business model. And so I'm excited to launch what I hope becomes a permanent and successful project at Dot & Lil: the Dot & Lil Kiva team!

Kiva is a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world.

Anyone can join the Dot & Lil Kiva Team (please do!) and make a loan to an entrepreneur anywhere in the world, of their choosing. When loans are repaid, I will roll them over and fund new entrepreneurs!

And the way this will be built in to Dot & Lil? Each season, one limted edition soap will be chosen as our Dot & Lil Kiva Team Soap, and all the profits from it's sale will go to the Dot & Lil Kiva team. For summer (July 1st to September 30th ), I have picked the popular Rice Flower soap, now renamed limited edition Lend a Hand Rice Flower soap. %100 of the profits from this soap now go to Kiva! Or, rather, to worthy entrepreneurs worldwide.